Whether you’re riding on the road or hitting the trails,
your bike gets dirty fast. These simple steps will help you keep your steed
functioning and looking sharp!
First, give your bike a gentle shower with a garden hose.
This will loosen up any dirt that’s stuck to the frame and prevent it from
scratching the paint when you wash. Stay away from pressure washers—the water
will force itself into your bearings and cause them to seize and rust. Spray
gently, and brush away loose dirt.
Next, dip your sponge into a bucket of soapy water (dish
soap works just fine, but other degreasing cleaners can be less work). Squeeze
the suds all over the frame, sponging gently. Pay special attention to places you might normally miss—under the down tube, on the inside of the fork legs,
and on the brake pads. Once the frame is clean, go for the drivetrain. You’ll
want to use a different sponge than the one you use for your frame—your chain
and cassette collect tons of dirt, and you don’t want to rub that on your
frame. Grab the chain with a sponge or rag and pedal backwards. The degreaser will come in handy at this point. Floss between your cassette cogs with the
side of a rag. Strip all the old, dirty grease off the drivetrain—you’ll put
new stuff on soon.
Scrub your rims well with something slightly abrasive—a
scrubber sponge or some Orange GoJo work really well. Be sure to rinse all the
abrasive off well.
Once your bike has been soaped and degreased, spray it down
with clean water to rinse. Dry the frame and drivetrain off. You can get a lot
of water off by lifting one wheel off the ground a few inches and letting it
drop to the floor (it won’t damage the bike).
Now that your bike is squeaky clean, you need to relube. Drip
lubricant on the chain as you pedal backwards. Let it sit a few minutes, and
wipe it off completely. Grab the chain with a rag again and pedal backwards.
You cannot wipe off too much of the lube. You want the lube to grease the inner
workings of the chain, and not hang around on the outside to collect dirt.
Once you’re done, finish up with some frame polish for
maximum shine. Your bike is ready for the trail or the road again!